Today I noticed an amazing series of pictures in The Daily Telegraph of a fighter pilot escaping death by seconds by ejecting. These ejection systems must be fantastic to get the pilot out of the aircraft, figure out which way is up and then push him up and away from the failing aircraft.

I’m interested by the idea that ejection must be resisted by the pilot for fear of losing his machine but at the same time he knows that safety is within his grasp at the press of a button……….he has a split second to decide.

Ejection by Robert Calvert

There’s only one course of action
Left for me to take
I’ve tried every switch selection
That might control this state
I think for my protection
I’d better make it straight
Into ejection
Better tell base, ejection
That I think it’s a case for ejection
Blown into space, ejection
Protect my face, ejection

The radar screen’s projection
Tells me I’m too late
To make a course correction
I’m about to meet my fate
No time for reflection
I’d better make it straight
Into ejection
Bust through the sky, ejection
The air rushing by, ejection
It’s a case of goodbye, ejection
I’m too fast to die
Ejection

When a ship meets with destruction
The captain stays to drown
But no tin contraption
Is going to drag me down
My reference intersection
Tells me that I’m bound
For ejection
Eight times my weight, ejection
Got to escape, ejection
Only one move to make, ejection
Abandon this crate, ejection
Abandon this crate, ejection